Redevelopment Of Pragati Maidan Put To Halt

SDMC, South Delhi Municipal Corporation ordered NBCC to halt all construction and demolition going on at Pragati Maidan as a part of its redevelopment project. Regular check on air quality is being made to ensure that air quality does not deprecate. EPCA, Environment Pollution Control Authority has been given total authority by the Supreme Court to take whatever measures necessary to control air pollution. And over the last week SDMC has been taking initiatives to control dust pollution. “SDMC on October 14th hired 22 additional water tankers for water sprinkling in open areas, taking the total number of such tankers to 62,” said PK Goel, Commissioner SDMC. However, the overall air quality index (AQI) recorded at 10 am Sunday stood at 208 which falls in the ‘poor’ category, according to Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). Under GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan), EPCA is allowed to take strict measures to control pollution in the capital. Stopping construction work is not an action that would’ve been taken, had the NBCC paid head to previous warnings and controlled the pollution. So far, it is being said that the project will not get a green signal, till the air quality comes to satisfactory levels.